Proving Them Wrong
by ladymiyah
Summary: When Naruto was betrayed by the council of his village he made a vow to prove them all wrong. Now, ten years later, Naruto is known as The Kitsune. The most feared ninja in all the lands he is also unaffiliated. Which means he can be hired. Konoha are about to face a war that they can't win on their own. Will Naruto choose to fight for the home that abandoned him? Or let them burn?
1. Chapter 1-Betrayal

Chapter 1-Betrayal

Naruto stood before the council of Konoha, solemn look upon his face. Before him were the people who, in Tsunade's absence (currently due to being busy operating on Sasuke after Naruto bought him back from the Valley of the End), were in charge of everyone and everything that went on in the village.

Including Naruto.

Who everyone knew they _despised_.

Naruto could feel apprehension curling in his gut. For all he portrayed to the world that he was an idiot, he was not stupid. And he knew that this was the perfect opportunity for these cruel bastards to get what they had always wanted.

Naruto gone.

This was to be his _hearing_ of sorts.

"Naruto," Danzo's voice rang out into the silent room, an almost perfectly hidden sneer accompanying the name, "You are the holder of the Nine Tailed Fox-an extremely dangerous demon. Now, everyone here knows that you are not on the level of Sasuke Uchiha, so, tell us. How did you beat him?"

"To a dangerous state of health, I might add," added a nasal voiced woman who represented the civilians', "_I_ heard that almost _every_ bone in his body was _broken_."

Naruto breathed deeply, his natural instincts of self-preservation warring with his tiredness, pain and temper. After barely a moment of hesitation he found that after the crap day he had had he just couldn't find it in him to care anymore. So what if the truth made them think he was dangerous? So what if they found out he was more than he let on? So what if, just for _once_, he allowed his pain to be the truth? Would that really be so bad?

His voice was flat, emotionless, as he finally answered their questions, "I warned him that I would do whatever it took to bring him back-even if I had to break every bone in his body. You should be grateful that I managed to bring him back." He paused, taking a moment to control his temper at the unfairness of the fact that they were judging him at all. Then he carried on in the same flat tone, "I am the jailer of the fox, and I can tap into its power. _That's_ what I did, _that's_ how I won. I used the power of the Nine-tailed Fox-the power of _Kyuubi_." Naruto stood proud, unafraid as he said this and Danzo had to suppress a snarl at the brat's insubordinance and fearlessness.

Clenching his jaw, Danzo spoke again, "So what you're saying, Uzumaki, is that you allowed the power of a dangerous beast to be let loose-a power you had no control of."

"I had perfect control!" Naruto snapped though his voice remained eerily level.

"That's not what I see," Danzo replied, a sudden smirk glinting in his eyes as he realised how he could make this work for him, "What I see is a dangerous boy with no control and no respect for the _threat_ he poses to humans. I see the _evidence_ of this in every injury the Uchiha sustained. And I see your _disrespect_, the fact that you will _never_ be able to be taught control, in the way you stand defiant _now_."

Naruto breathed out deeply through his nose to keep his anger in check. The rest of the room sat in rapt attention as they listened to Danzo's (false) reasoning. Danzo himself seemed to take a minute to consider the situation, to decide upon Naruto's _sentence_ of all things.

Then he continued, voice barely hiding his glee at what he was about to do "For years you have run rampant among this village, _terrorizing_ its citizens. Now, with your own loss of control, you endanger us all. Naruto Uzumaki, I find you an undeniable threat to the safety of this village and its citizens. As such, I sentence you to banishment. You are to be gone within an hour and after that time, if you are seen anywhere _near_ this village, the ninja will have instructions to _eliminate_ you on sight."

The woman from before smirked in victory and glee at Naruto's punishment and much of the rest of the council were either showing signs of the same emotions or barely restraining them. They were finally going to be rid of the Kyuubi brat.

Naruto swallowed, fury boiling in his gut but face carefully blank. Nodding to the council, with as much _disrespect_ as possible, he turned his back on them and stormed away. Going straight to his apartment he grabbed the very few personal possessions he had and would need (including the photo of he and his team), and then raced over the rooftops towards the gate.

By the time he had stepped outside of the gate the fury had died and only a cold feeling remained. One that he could not quite identify.

As he turned and stared at the gate that loomed before him he realised what it was.

It was _pain_.

And it was _betrayal_.

He had thought that he had been making some headway, that some of the village had actually begun to care, or, at least, acknowledge him. He thought that things were finally beginning to get better.

The _council_ had just proved him wrong.

Of course, he knew he still had the people he knew personally, those whose hearts he had touched directly. He knew that they would be _outraged_ at this and he knew that they would fight for him. _Especially_ Tsunade. As soon as she got word of this she was going to beat the council into a bloody mess and then completely _discredit_ their claims and welcome Naruto back with open arms.

Naruto knew that soon enough he'd be allowed to go back.

He found that he didn't really _care_.

He didn't hate his village, per se, but he just couldn't find it in him to _love_ it anymore either. He didn't _want_ to go back to a life where he was despised. He didn't _want _to keep protecting people who would so _willingly_ hurt and betray him.

_No_, he decided_, I will leave, by my choice. I will grow stronger, so that I _never_ have to use the fox's power again, and I will prove them all wrong._

Mind made up and heart feeling lighter than it ever had, Naruto turned around and calmly walked away.

He never looked back.


	2. Chapter 2-Found

Chapter 2-Found

They moved swiftly through the trees, footsteps almost silent as they pushed off each branch they touched. Their breaths, having been running through the trees for hours, came in short, sharp pants and even with all their training their muscles screamed at them to rest.

They couldn't do that.

They finally had a lead as to the whereabouts of Naruto.

Well, not a lead on him so much as a lead on three of his tails-the 2nd, 3rd and 4th tail if we're being precise.

It had been ten years since they had last seen him; since they had last seen that glowing smile and those astoundingly blue eyes. Ten years since they'd heard that wonderful, carefree laugh.

Of course, by now they knew the truth, they knew that it had never actually been _carefree_.

That didn't mean they missed it any less.

For all a great many of the rookies had teased Naruto and treated him as if he were a nuisance, they had actually held him in high regard. The smart ones-namely Neji, Shikamaru and even _Sasuke_-had realised long before the truth came out that Naruto was special. That Naruto was stronger than any of them, at least when it came to heart anyway. If any of them had been pushed to give an answer, when asked the question of whether they would truly want to test Naruto's anger and limitations, they would have all answered no.

Regardless of how the rookies had treated Naruto, they had respected him-and they had believed him to be their friend.

Which is why it had hurt so much when he had left.

Of course they all knew that at first it was banishment, but, once Tsunade had caught wind of the 'punishment' and it had been revoked, he didn't come back. Tsunade had sent search parties out for him, all consisting of at least one of the rookies who were oh so worried about him, but hide nor hair of him could be found.

It was as if he had vanished.

He had disappeared so well, in fact, that, after one whole year of searching, Tsunade had called the search off, declaring that if he didn't want to be found then he wouldn't be. It was obvious to everyone that she hadn't wanted to make that call, and, when questioned, she had only answered that wherever he was, to not come home, he must've been far happier there.

It was logic none of them could argue with.

And, once they had learned the truth of Naruto's past, logic they didn't want to mess with-they didn't want to bring him home if he was finally happy.

However, now, Konoha needed him.

They _needed _their most knuckleheaded and unpredictable ninja.

Which was why Tsunade had created a special team to search for him.

The problem was, Naruto was really hard to find.

For six years the people from Konoha heard barely a whisper about the boy, except for the occasional mention of an extremely skilled ninja mercenary who only took jobs he believed were morally worthy of his time, that popped up every now and then. Of course, there was no proof that this had been Naruto, but…the mercenary wore a fox mask and people had taken to calling him The Kitsune, that added to the fact that Naruto always took the morally high ground…it wasn't that far of a stretch.

Not really.

Then, four years ago, word arrived in Konoha of a Sound camp that had been massacred.

By The Kitsune.

Messengers said that it had been horrific. People torn limb from limb, the buildings burned to the ground and the camps leaders heads displayed cruelly on pikes at the edge of the camp.

It had been a bloodbath.

A bloodbath performed single handed by the previous dead-last.

It was then that the people of Konoha had finally realised how strong Naruto had become-and how much he'd changed.

That man who massacred a camp of men was not the same innocent little boy they had once known.

But, then again, with his harsh past, had Naruto ever really been _innocent_?

Forgiving, maybe, but _innocent_?

Not really.

It was after this shocking event that the 'tails' began popping up-nine apparent subordinates of Naruto, ranging in age.

Each of them were strong, feared among the ninja community, and each of them would leave a number beneath the picture of a fox face drawn onto a wall (or such) wherever they completed their missions.

Many bloody battles were marked by these symbols.

Whoever they were, Naruto had trained them well.

They were also easier to find due to the symbols they left in their wakes-hence the fact that the teams clue pertained to some tails rather than Naruto himself.

The 'team', as it was, consisted of five people: Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino and Sasuke.

Hinata served as the 'eyes'-she was there to track, spy and seek out Naruto or his tails.

Kiba and Akamaru served as the 'nose'-they was there to track, mostly.

Shikamaru served as the 'leader'-his extreme intelligence and the fact that he was actually willing to put effort into finding Naruto meant that he was the perfect candidate for leading the team, creating the plans and issuing order.

Ino served as the 'information gatherer'-her family jutsu made her perfect for quietly and efficiently extracting information from people's minds, plus, she had enough training in medical ninjutsu to be useful for that as well.

Sasuke, as such, did not really serve a purpose. He could have been considered the 'powerhouse' but, in reality, everyone knew he was there because, for all he pretended he didn't, he cared very deeply about Naruto-they had been family, even if it had taken a long (long) time for Sasuke to admit it. Plus his insistence on going had been beginning to piss of Tsunade and she had enough on her plate without having to listen to the Uchiha's whining.

"There," Hinata suddenly said into the silence, her voice soft but unhesitant. Then, she swiftly changed directions and headed in the direction of whatever it was her 'all-seeing' eyes were seeing.

She lightly touched down into the clearing, barely ruffling a single leaf, just seconds before her teammates followed suit.

Suki, Aki and Ryou had been on their way home after the successful completion of a C ranked mission and had decided to briefly rest in a small clearing, deeming it safe to do so. Having deemed it safe they were undeniably surprised when five ninjas abruptly stopped in front of them.

It didn't help that, for all their training, they hadn't been able to sense the ninja. That meant that, whatever these ninja wanted, they would be unable to even begin to measure up to them in battle.

The three young ninjas snapped up onto their feet, warily falling into ready stances, as the other ninja scrutinised them. Discreetly, Aki reached his hand back into his pouch and tightly gripped a particular, three pronged kunai.

"What the hell," Kiba's voice suddenly cut through the tense silence, loud as ever, "They're just kids!"

"Your point?" Suki said, unwarranted strength in her voice, "At least we don't smell like dog."

Kiba spluttered in outrage and both Sasuke and Ino smirked.

"You've sure got a mouth on you, kid," Ino commented, her tone light as she did. Sasuke moved to lean against a tree, sensing that these children were no threat.

"Whatever," the girl responded, tone scathing, defensive, "What do you want anyway?"

Shikamaru was the one to reply, tone bored as ever, "You're the 2nd, 3rd and 4th tails right?"

"What's it to you?" the boy, Ryou, asked before Suki could snap something rude back.

"We've been looking for you for a very long time," Shikamaru still sounded bored though his eyes spoke of alertness.

"Why?" the last boy, Aki, asked calmly.

"Because we need to speak with Naruto." Hinata answered bluntly, her tone fond as she said Naruto's name.

All three tails picked up on this immediately.

"How do you know Naru-sensei?" Suki blurted out, uncaring if she was rude. Hinata only smiled at the way she was being defensive of someone she cared about.

"He was our friend, a long time ago, when he still lived in Konoha," Hinata replied to the girl, voice carrying an undertone of sadness at things long past.

"You're Konoha ninja," said Ryou softly.

"Yes," replied Hinata, just as soft.

"You're from the village that betrayed him." Suki cut through the calm that had fallen, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"We didn't betray him," Kiba retorted with just as much heat, "The council did. If we had known..."

"But you didn't," Suki replied, voice soft for the first time ad carrying an edge of finality.

Ino ignored it.

"Look, kids, I get it, you care a lot about Naruto. But the thing is, we care a lot too. We cared enough to leave him be to get on with his life because we thought he didn't want to be found because he was happier without us." She said, voice matter-of-fact.

"So leave him be," Suki interrupted as if it were nothing.

"But now we need him," Ino carried on as of Suki hadn't spoken, "We need to speak with our friend, our brother-and if you do not tell us where to find him I will take the information by force." Ino's eyes were hard as stared unblinkingly into Suki's.

Suki bristled and would have lunged at Ino had Aki not put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

Aki then, in acquiescence to their threat/request, pulled the hand gripping the odd kunai out of his pouch and flung the kunai at a tree to his left, implanting it into the rough bark.

* * *

Naruto was stood in his kitchen, leaning against the counter and eating an apple as he watched Kaito tutor Miki. A warm smile graced his face at the sight; it was sweet to see two of his kids acting so much like a family.

To his left he sensed as Sayan slipped into the room. She was towelling her hair dry as she came to rest by Naruto, hoisting herself up to sit on the counter. Wordlessly she handed her mission report over to him and just as wordlessly he took it and placed it on the countertop, not bothering to read it.

Sayan shook her head at this, typical as it was.

She didn't comment, however, just as content as Naruto to sit and silently watch Kaito and Miki.

It was serene.

Naruto suddenly jerked, abruptly dropping his half-eaten apple on the floor, and the rooms occupants all turned to look at him.

"You're being summoned," said Sayan seriously, perceptively.

Naruto only nodded.

Sayan turned her head slightly to catch Kaito's eyes and he nodded just as slightly. Turning back to Naruto she swiped his mask off the counter, handed it to him and spoke, "Go. We've got things here."

Naruto stared at her for all of two seconds before nodding again. He then strode over to one of the table chairs, swept his coat off of its back and, as he swung it onto his own back, closed his eyes and focused on the tug that was pulling at him.

This time he let it tug him away.

* * *

When he opened his eyes Naruto stood in the middle of a small clearing. Behind him were three of his kids and in front of him were five adult jounin.

Jounin he knew very well.

"Dobe," Sasuke breathed, pushing himself off the tree as he did. Mask or not he would know that chakra anyway.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, voice cold as he pulled his mask off his face, finding no use for it when these ninja so obviously knew who he was.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, question angled behind him though he kept his eyes trained on the group of ninja in front.

"Completely fine, Naru-sensei," Ryou replied, "Your old comrades just wished to have a little chat."

Guessing that the group had threatened his kids, Naruto directed a glare at them. "What do you want?" he asked, voice still cold.

Shikamaru stepped forward to speak, "Your help."

"My help? What for?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru's tone, for once, did not sound bored, "I'm sure you've heard by now, Naruto. Konoha is at war. Orochimaru and Sound are trying to destroy us and we just can't match up to their strength on our own. But you, you took out an entire camp on your own-we need you."

"And why should I care? Why should I come?" Naruto asked, voice almost bitter. Hinata softly gasped at his words.

"We'll pay you, whatever you want" Shikamaru replied, offering what Tsunade had told him to.

"I have money," Naruto replied, "So I ask again; why should I come?"

Ino considered him for a moment before stepping level with Shikamaru and replying, "Because you're a good person. Because, for all they did to you, you remained a good person. Because, for all you may feel about Konoha, there are still people you love living there, and you have never been one to let people you love get hurt. Because, Naruto, this is your chance. Your chance to go back and prove all of those people who hurt you wrong. You should come, because this is your chance."

All was silent as Naruto watched Ino and Ino stared unflinchingly back at him. Neither moved and Ino got the distinct impression that he was looking for something in her eyes. She thought it might have been assurance that this wasn't a trap.

Whatever it was, he seemed to find it.

With a suddenness that made both Kina and Hinata jerk a little, Naruto shattered the silence that had fallen, "Alright, I'll come. But my kids, you leave them out of this; I won't bring them if they don't want to come."

Shikamaru nodded, "Alright. Then let's g-"

"No," Naruto interrupted, causing Shikamaru to fall silent, "I am going home now. I am going to gather the things I need and you are going to go back to Konoha. I will be there tomorrow, and you will just have to take my word on that."

Then, without another glance at the Konoha ninja, Naruto ripped the kunai out of the tree, walked over to the kids-each of which placed a hand on him-and, after a nano-second of focusing, vanished with them.

"Now what?" asked Kiba into the shocked but tense silence.

"Now we go home, "answered Hinata, "And trust that he never goes back on his word."

* * *

Naruto had just finished packing when all of his kids piled into his bedroom, one after the other. Turning around he rose his eyebrow at them when he saw that they were all clothe in their ninja gear with their own packs already on their backs.

"We're coming with you," stated Isato.

"You don't have to, "Naruto replied, "it's not a mission and it's not an obligation."

"We know," said Mae, "We're coming because we want to."

Naruto stared at them all for a long moment before sighing and smiling in acquiescence.

He then sighed again, this time in resignation. "I don't even know if I'm making the right choice," he confided.

"You are." Kaito said with surety.

Naruto's head snapped up to look at him as he asked, "How do you know?"

It was Sayan who answered, "Because you're a good person, Naru-Sensei. Because the people you love are the most important things in the world to you, and you would die to protect any one of them. Because there are still people you love in Konoha. And because, as long as those people are in Konoha, Konoha will remain your home."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again when he found there was nothing to say.

She was right.

Home was where the people were and, as such, Konoha was his home.

And Naruto had sworn to always protect his home.

With that thought in mind, Naruto turned and led the way out of the house.

As the dawn began to break that morning, Naruto set off once more for Konoha.


	3. Chapter 3-Return

Chapter 3-Return

They stood just within the treeline beyond Konoha, the main gate of said city in sight. The shade of the trees was refreshing after the fast-paced travel they had endured on such a hot day as it was. Naruto was crouched just ahead of his kids, his mind blank as he stared at the village that had once been his home, that had once bought him so much pain-that he was willingly returning to.

The others each rested behind him, their own hearts beating rapidly after the run. Sayan was sat on a tree branch barely two branches behind Naruto's, Miki sitting in her lap. Her brow was creased as she watched her mentor, worry coursing through her veins. Sayan was not a fool, being back here-in Konoha-it bought up all kinds of unwanted memories for Naruto-both good and bad. His shoulders, she could see, were tense, despite his obvious attempt to relax them-to pretend like this return did not affect him at all.

Sensing movement behind her she flicked her eyes to the side as Kaito lay his hand on her shoulder, briefly, and then let her eyes follow him as he jumped forward to lay the same hand on their mentor's shoulder-a comforting gesture, but one that seemed to snap Naruto out of his reverie.

Shaking the heavy feeling from his shoulders Naruto leapt down to the floor, his kids following in a synchronised wave. Without saying a word he began to stroll forwards, each step warning of strength despite the casual relaxation his posture held.

Hearing the unconcealed approach the guards looked up, eyes widening and mouths opening in gasps when they saw the group of people stood at their gate. Or, more specifically, the person (young man) leading them.

Neither guard failed to notice the resemblance he held to a man once revered as a hero within their village.

Nor did they fail to notice the positively overwhelming amount of chakra that bubbled just beneath the surface of his skin-chakra that he was apparently not even attempting to mask.

Chakra that they were not the only ones to sense, if the fact that both Sasuke and Sakura had just appeared at the gate as well was any indication.

A whisper of breath left Sakura and she clenched her jaw to hold back the emotion as her eyes landed upon her old teammate. It had been so long, they were all so different, everything had changed.

That did not stop the warmth that swelled in her chest as team 7 reunited for the first time in ten years.

"Come on," Sakura's voice rang out softly, eyes locked on Naruto as she tilted her head towards the Hokage's tower and then turned around and began leading the way. Naruto made not a sound as he followed without argument.

The tension was palpable as they walked along the streets of Konoha, people watching the group with a mixture of apprehension and fear. It did not seem to affect any of the mercenaries-they carried on as if it was just any other day-but Sakura felt as if the walk could not be over soon enough.

"You've grown stronger," Sakura said, cutting through the silence and glancing over her shoulder.

His piercing gaze flicked to hers and the intensity of it made her want to look away-she refused, she was not the same little girl she once was.

"So have you," was his reply, before his eyes met Sasuke's "Both of you."

Sakura could have sworn she'd seen an unnameable emotion hidden within his eyes.

"Yes, we have," she replied, a bittersweet echo to her tone and a sad smile on her face "You're leaving was a bit of a big wake-up call. I myself hadn't realised just how pathetic I was before then."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, a pitying look entering his eyes, "You weren't pathetic, Sakura-"

"Yes, I was," she said, interrupting him, "I know I was, and I don't need your pity." Stopping in front of the Hokage tower she turned to face him completely, "I hate who I was as a child. I couldn't protect my friends and worst of all I was too blind to see that. But I'm not that same girl anymore. I grew up, I'm 22 now and one of the best damn medical ninjas in this village. I will not fail to protect the people I love again." With the determination covering her face and resounding in her voice not a single person who had heard her statement could refute it.

None tried.

* * *

The atmosphere was heavy as Naruto stood in the centre of the Hokage's office. Tsunade was sat before him, behind her desk, and the council each stood on the outskirts of the room. A few of the old rookies (Shikamaru, Sasuke, Sakura and Ino) also stood within the room, each having been requested to sit in on this meeting.

Breaking the tension and silence, Naruto was the first to speak, "I see you've completely revamped the council, Baa-Chan. What on earth could have prompted that, I wonder?"

Tsunade stared at him, face blank, for a few moments and then began to chuckle, "As if you don't know, crazy, knuckleheaded ninja."

Despite the teasing tone that had entered his voice Naruto's face remained serious.

"But that's not why we're here, is it?" Tsunade continued, her chuckles dying "Let's talk payment."

"I don't want your money," Naruto said, voice clear, "I want mine."

Each of the room's occupant's looked at each other in confusion and Tsunade's brow furrowed. Shikamaru was the only one whose eyes remained on Naruto, scrutinising him.

"The Flying Thunder God Technique," Shikamaru said over the mummers of the room, "That's what you used, when we asked to see you. You know of your heritage. You want your inheritance."

Naruto glance over to him, humour dancing behind his eyes, and spoke, "Ever the smart one, Shikamaru."

"But how?" Tsunade asked, "How do you know?"

"That's of no concern. But bear in mind, whether you choose to give it to me or not, I'm taking my inheritance. All of it, including anything the old council may have spent or used in a misguided thought that it was theirs. I expect it all to be paid back in full," Naruto's voice was loud, resonating in the room, and spoke of danger should anyone deny him what was rightfully his.

"Of course," Tsunade said, unafraid of the man who was once the young boy who had saved her, "I wouldn't dream of denying you what's rightfully yours. I assume that you'll want to stay in your father's old compound, correct?"

"Yes," Naruto replied, "But that was only my first condition.

"Condition?" said a member of the council, outraged at the complete disregard for status that this young man had, "You have conditions?"

"Yes," said Naruto again, "You want my help, not the other way around. So, yes, I have conditions. My inheritance is the first."

"What else?" asked Tsunade calmly, just taking everything in stride (and secretly smug that Naruto's remark had shut the council member up. New council or not, they were still annoying).

Naruto stared at Tsunade unblinkingly, seeming to be aware of her concealed humour at the situation. The same concealed humour flickered behind his eyes.

"I'm assuming I'm not here just to fight in a war-let alone a war that hasn't even reached your doorstep yet. Actually, I'm assuming that you're going to want to send me and my kids on missions, see if we can't take out Orochimaru before he ever gets this far. My condition, therefore, is that I and my kids only report to you. There is no council, there is no in-between man-just you."

"Okay," replied Tsunade, voice just as unwavering as Naruto's, "What else?"

Naruto smirked slightly, she knew him too well, "I choose my own team for whatever mission I am given. I choose, or you, only us, choose teams for my kids-in fact, let's just go with, only people I trust may have any say in anything."

"And I am completely okay with that," Tsunade said. A low grumble could be heard from a couple of the council members.

"Also," Naruto carried on, "If there is any particular person I wish to train any of my kids, that person has an obligation to do so. Moreover, Miki, the youngest, she will be enrolled within Konoha Academy for the duration of our time here." There was a tone of finality in his voice, suggestion that that was all he had to ask for.

"I can meet those conditions," Tsunade said, as if they were discussing the weather rather than making an extremely important deal, "Now, about those kids…"

"What about them?" Naruto asked, voice dropping dangerously low.

"Who are they? How old are they? What are their skills? And will they be aiding us in this war?" Tsunade vocalised her thoughts, undaunted by the threatening air that Naruto radiated.

Naruto considered the Hokage for a moment and then let the tension that had built in his shoulders faced as he replied to her simple questions, "They're people I have known and trained for the last four years. The 9th tail is Sayan and the 8th tail is Kaito. They are both 18 and very good at what they do-S rank level in fact. Chiyoe, the 7th tail, is 16, snarky and great with weapons-sought of like TenTen actually, but scarier. 6th and 5th are Mae and Isato, both 15. Isato wants to train with medical ninjutsu but Mae's rather much got some sought of skill for everything she tries. Suki, 4th, and Aki, 3rd, are twins, yin and yang, but both share an extremely rare kekkai genkai-the ability to control wind with a thought, it's quite spectacular actually. They're best friend, Ryou, the 2nd tail has a summoning contract with the long thought dead dragon race-trust me, I was just as surprised as you. All three of them are 13. The last tail, the 1st, is Kana and she's 12. She doesn't really have a specialisation yet because I would not allow any of them to learn more than the academy would teach, let alone go on missions, before they were 12."

"What about the last one?" asked Ino, "She's not a tail."

Naruto briefly glanced at her, noting her newly honed eye for detail, "No. Miki is only 8-hence me wanting her in the academy." He turned back to Tsunade, "All of my kids except Miki will aid you, but, and this is a big but, they came by choice, I did not force them, and should at any point they not wish to fight for you, you will do nothing about it. They have no obligation to Konoha and one will not be forced upon them."

"I wouldn't dream of it," replied Tsunade, equally as serious.

"Good. I trust you Baa-Chan and I will take your word for it. But I also know that Danzo barely listens to you. Should he attempt anything with my kids or me, I will not be held accountable for what happens to him." Naruto's stance was unyielding as he spoke, a reflection of how he felt on the matter.

"Duly noted," Tsunade said, nodding to him with respect.

The room remained silent for a few minutes after the conversation, no one quite sure how to proceed.

Ino, never one to care too much if she was rude, rolled her eyes and shattered the silence, "Well then. As this meeting appears to be over I'm just going to go right on ahead and show Naruto to his new compound before this situation gets anymore awkward." Ino then strode out of the room, expecting Naruto to follow-which he did, his smirk speaking of amusement.

* * *

"So, Naruto," Ino said as they walked towards the Fourth's compound, "Nine-tailed fox, huh?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows at her, slightly stunned that she didn't care to pull any punches, "Yeah…you know huh?"

"Know?" she asked, tone incredulous, "Everyone knows! Danzo told the entire village the moment you were gone, but then, you expected that."

"Astute observation," he paused and his voice almost unnoticeably came softer, "You don't hate me."

"Stating the obvious, Naruto," Ino replied, though her voice was not as harsh as it could have been, having picked up on the vulnerability in his.

"None of us hate you, you know." Ino said after a few seconds of companionable silence, "Truth is, we always knew there was something special about you, Danzo just confirmed it. And the reaction was not what you would have thought."

"It wasn't?" asked Naruto, confusion colouring his voice.

"No. Actually, our generation was outraged, furious. I imagine it was quite terrifying, I know I was." Replied Ino.

"What do you mean? Asked Naruto.

Ino's eyes flickered towards his and she smiled gently.

"Maybe another day," she said, "I'll tell you my reaction when you've spent a few days back here, in your home, and are more open-minded to the possibility that you weren't as alone as you thought."

"Home?" was Naruto's response.

Ino smiled at him, soft and caring, "Yes, Naruto. As long as there remain people you love in Konoha, Konoha will remain your home."

Naruto stared at her, stunned by her utterance of words he'd heard repeated so often over the last few years.

"Ino," a voice suddenly piped up from behind them, reminding the two that they were not alone and causing Ino to turn to the voice.

"Yes?" Ino asked, raising her eyebrow.

"You like fashion, right? I mean, I gather from the way you're dressed and the stories Naruto's told us of his past…" a young girl who Ino thought might be Chiyoe, asked.

"Yes," Ino answered the girl, tilting her head in wonder as to why she was asking.

"Good," Chiyoe continued, "Could you take me shopping later, it would be nice to have a girl's opinion for once."

"Hey!" exclaimed another girl, this time a bit older that Chiyoe, possibly Sayan.

"What?!" Chiyoe asked, "You and Mae are too into being Ninja to give good opinions and the others are just too young to care about fashion. I need a real woman's opinion!"

Ino chuckled at the sibling-like antics and dropped back to converse with Chiyoe about clothes, leaving Naruto to contemplate the words she had spoken to him.

Naruto listened to the girl's speak for a moment longer before tuning them out so that he could think about his conversation with Ino. She really had changed, for the better it seemed, but still he found he could not quite believe what she had said.

_Outraged? Furious?_ Naruto could not comprehend why those would have been the feelings that they had felt.

_Had he not irritated them all? Had they not all, on multiple occasions, expressed their dislike of him?_

_So _why_?_

Naruto did not understand.

Shaking his head, Naruto pulled himself from his thoughts and immediately tensed.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto let himself become fully aware of the present and focused on something he did understand.

Namely, the Root Anbu tailing them.


	4. Chapter 4-Hell Hath No Fury like a Woman

**Okay, I wasn't going to do any Author's Notes because I prefer people to just get the answers to questions as they come but a few people have asked so I will say-If this does end up with romance (which is likely) it will be a Naruhina. For a while there it was a toss up between that and Sasunaru but then I got ideas (cue evil laugh). I'm going to make clear right now that this is not a harem-I personally hate harems.**

**Any other questions will be answered as the story moves along-and trust me, I'm making people question things on purpose.**

**Also, I know people have probably read the title of this chapter and gone 'yay, some answers'. Not quite. I was going to put Tsunade and Hinata's reactions in, but then decided I have bigger plans for them. So...**

**To everyone who has given me wonderful reviews so far, thank you.**

* * *

Ino could sense the Root Anbu behind her-in the last ten years she had grown exceptionally strong (much like the rest of the rookies) and as such it was not particularly hard for her to sense a low level Root.

Didn't mean the Root Anbu irritated her any less.

She could see that all of the group-except, perhaps, the younger ones-had felt the presence of Danzo's man as well. Usually this would be fine, but, Ino was no fool-if Danzo made a move so would Naruto's tails.

It wasn't that Ino was against Danzo having his ass handed to him by a bunch of kids (in fact, Ino would absolutely love nothing more), but it couldn't just be done so out in the open. Regardless of how things had changed in the past ten years even Tsunade could not rid Danzo of his power.

Hence the fact that Root still existed and Danzo had not faced the same fate as the rest of the old council.

Ino had always been far more perceptive than she let on, which probably came with the whole family jutsu thing. When she had begun to embrace these qualities she had found that she was rather much psychologically minded, enjoyed using peoples own problems against them, and, when push came to shove, was actually quite a good therapist. Five minutes alone with someone in a room and she could have their entire life figured out just from the way they behaved and spoke-most of the time.

These qualities were probably why she was considered the best field interrogator in Konoha-and probably also why she was considered to be almost as scary as Anko.

Anyway, the point was that Ino was more perceptive than most.

When Naruto had left she had noticed a sort of stir across the village, like something had been let free. Years later, of course, she had realised that this was probably Danzo's forces being let loose with the command to hunt down 'the fox' and bring him back to be Danzo's weapon.

Quite frankly that very idea pissed her off.

So really it was no surprise that she was beginning to get ticked off now.

Naruto was finally home, completely accepting of who he was and _Danzo_ apparently had the audacity to _still _try and take him as a weapon.

Regardless of the fact that this pissed off Ino, Ino knew she was not the only person that it would piss off. Not mentioning Naruto or his tails (who Ino thought were probably terrifying when they were angry) this was going to cause anger to stir in every single one of the rookies-all who had a vested interest in protecting Naruto.

They'd failed once, they wouldn't fail again.

This was not going to end well for Danzo.

"Naruto," Ino called to the front of the little group, almost imperceptible seriousness underlining her tone, "You know where you're going from here right? I just remembered, I have something I need to take care of."

Naruto turned his head to stare an Ino for a moment, fully aware of the problem she 'had to take care of, and then nodded his consent, a smirk dancing in his eyes. Without a word he turned back to the front and continued to stroll towards his compound, as if nothing had just happened. A couple of the tails exchanged glances but followed anyway.

Ino watched them leave for a moment and then abruptly turned around and jumped up to the level of the Root.

He startled, apparently stunned at her sudden appearance-and, probably, the fact that she had sensed him…idiot.

"Hi," Ino said, voice sickly sweet.

"Uhhhh…." Said the Root.

"You're going to leave now," Ino continued, both eyes and voice promising pain if he did not comply with her demands, "You're going to scurry back to your little crippled master and you're going to tell him that this is his warning." Suddenly her voice became icy, dropping to deadly levels, "If he even _thinks_ about messing with Naruto, I will hunt him down and I will make him regret even _considering_ to use Naruto as a weapon." Her voice became creepily cheery again, her smile baring her teeth, "Naruto is protected, and should he attempt to try anything, Danzo will find that he has far more to deal with than just me. There is not a single ninja in this village who will find themselves accountable for their reactions should Danzo make a move."

Content that, regardless of his Root training, she had scared the Anbu witless, Ino bounded off across the rooftops, heading towards the food area to meet with her friends.

* * *

Ayame had always considered Naruto to be her little brother in all but blood and name. They had spent so long chatting with each other in their younger years that she felt she probably knew more about him than anyone-even now, after ten years of no contact.

She understood why he had left, fully supported his reasoning actually, but that didn't mean that it had hurt any less.

Her little brother had just disappeared, without even a goodbye.

Which is why she was so overjoyed to hear that he was back (it had absolutely nothing to do with the business he would bring).

In Ayame's mind, Naruto being back meant that everything would be okay. Childish belief as it was, she wasn't wrong that Naruto had always had an uncanny way of making everything okay, of making problems disappear and pain just fade.

Naruto would make things better.

Now, strictly speaking, Ayame wasn't actually supposed to know of Naruto's return. None of the civilians were actually, after all, he had been wearing his mask when he'd entered the village that morning. The civilian population weren't even supposed to know that Naruto was behind that mask-but things had changed over the years and even they weren't so blind as to not notice the similarities between Naruto and 'The Kitsune'.

Plus, ninja's tended to have a bad habit of running their mouths when they were piss drunk/completely full of food and therefore it wasn't particularly hard for any of the street vendors to hear about these 'secrets' and then spread them to the rest of the population.

It helped that she was married to a ninja-a ninja who knew she had a personal interest in Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze.

So, yeah, Ayame knew that Naruto was back.

And it was knowledge that caused relief to swell in her heart.

The village seemed to be more alive with his return as well, 'secret' gatherings of celebrations taking place.

Things had really changed in ten years.

"I can't believe they let that monster back into the village!" a man walking into the ramen shop drunkenly slurred to his friend, causing Ayame's head to snap up.

The shop fell silent, dark looks becoming apparent on the faces of the people already seated and eating there.

Not noticing the sudden anger in the atmosphere the man's friend slurred back, "I know right! And after he killed so many innocents!"

Calmly, but with tension in her shoulders, Ayame walked around the counter to stand in front of the men. In the corner of her eye she could see her husband shifting behind her, stance becoming defensive.

He was not the only one in the room.

"Leave," Ayame told the men, voice strong as it echoed in the room.

As if just sensing the change in the atmosphere the drunken men stopped and turned to look at her.

"What?" One asked.

"I said leave. Prejudice is not welcome here." Ayame replied.

"Prejudice? What ya on about, woman?" slurred the other man.

"This is an establishment that does not welcome _idiots_ who would believe that a child could be a murderer." Ayame spoke, voice even.

"You can't talk to us like that!" shouted the first man, outraged. His hand raised to hit her.

Not a second later Ayame's husband was next to her, catching the hand and _squeezing_ it with more force than necessary. The look in his eye spoke of pain and the men each took an involuntary step back.

As they did they noticed that more than half the room had risen to their feet as well, anger painting their features.

"I suggest you leave," said Ayame.

Not wasting a moment, the men did just that.

Ayame sighed, moments like that were disappointing, though they happened far less often now.

Yes, far less often, since she had snapped.

She remembered that day like it was yesterday.

_10 Years Earlier…_

_Ayame sighed, absentmindedly drying the dishes as her mind repeated Danzo's words; 'The demon has been banished, this village will never have to deal with the threat he poses again!'. Danzo's audience had _cheered_-it made her sick._

_Ayame's father was just as notably subdued as she, not uttering a sound as he served people their ramen._

_Ayame did not understand how these people could be so cheery, as if something tragic had not just occurred. She just could not comprehend how they could be so ignorant as to think that this was a good thing._

_She was…she was angry._

_Oh so very angry._

"_Thank Lord, eh, Teuchi?" Ayame heard a customer say to her father, "That Demon's finally gone."_

_Ayame's anger began to boil._

_Teuchi just kept his eyes down, cleaning the counter._

"_The village is gonna be far safer without that brat runnin around," the man continued._

"_Shut up," Ayame found herself whispering, though only she could hear the words. Her hands stopped drying._

"_And, now 'e's gone, you're never gonna 'ave to feed that no good beast just 'cause a the 'okage again!"_

"_Shut up!" Ayame suddenly screamed, whipping around to face the man and dropping the dish she was holding as she did. It shattered, but went unnoticed as the room fell silent and her words resonated around it. An unidentifiable turmoil of emotions was spread across her face._

"_Ayame…" Teuchi spoke softly._

"_No," she replied, "No. No more. I'm done, I won't listen to this!"_

"_What's wrong with ya girl?" asked the customer from before, apparently undaunted by her emotional anger._

"_Shut up," Ayame said again, this time softer but with far more power behind it, "Shut up and get out."_

"_Ya can't speak to me like that, I'm a payin customer!" said the man incredulously._

_Ayame opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted by another customer who stepped up to speak, "Now, why don't we all just calm down. Tell us what's wrong, Ayame, dear."_

"_Don't," Ayame answered, emotions barely held in check, "Don't call me _dear_. Don't patronise me."_

"_Alright, alright," replied the second customer soothingly, hands held up in defence, "Just tell us what's wrong."_

"_What's wrong?! What's wrong?!" shouted Ayame, "What isn't wrong?!"_

"_God, just spit it out, would ya, girl," said the first customer, "If ya got somethin to say, say it."_

_Ayame suddenly stopped, face becoming blank as she looked the man in the eyes, "You want to know what's wrong? What's wrong is that _my little brother_ was just _banished_ from his home for _protecting_ it. What is wrong is that he was _banished_ and you all _cheered_."_

"_This is about the Kyuubi brat?" asked the first customer._

"_Naruto, his name is Naruto. And he is a better person than any of you will ever be," retorted Ayame, eyes intense._

"_You're stickin up for it?" asked the first customer, unable to understand why._

_Ayame clenched her fists to prevent them shaking with anger, "None of you get it, do you? The Kyuubi _stopped_ attacking because the fourth _sealed it_ within Naruto. If it hadn't of been for Naruto the Kyuubi would have killed us all. You used Naruto as your scapegoat because he was the closest thing to the fox. In reality, you were never attacking and hating the fox you were attacking and hating an _innocent child. _An innocent child who didn't understand _why_."_

_The second customer opened her mouth to say something and then shut it again, unable to think of a response._

_A tear rolled slowly down Ayame's face._

"_When Naruto first came to us, we let him in on a whim," she all but whispered, though her voice sounded loud as the room listened with rapt attention, "We saw this beaten up child trying so hard to appear strong, like he didn't care what the world thought of him. For the first time we didn't see the fox, we saw a starving six year old. So we fed him, and we were rewarded with the most beautiful, the most blinding, the _truest_ smile we had ever seen. And it was heart-breaking."_

_Another few tears slid down her cheeks._

"_Why?" asked the first customer, curiosity winning out over his dislike of the Kyuubi brat._

"_Because it was the first time," Teuchi suddenly spoke up, voice even._

"_What?" asked the second customer, confusion in her voice._

"_Everyone in this village had seen Naruto smile before, including us. But when we saw that smile, that _true_ smile, we realised; all those smiles we had seen before had been fake. This was the first time he had ever truly smiled." Ayame clarified._

_Ayame suddenly looked up, eyes fierce despite the wetness in them, "Get out. We loved Naruto, he was like family, and any who would wish him harm are not welcome here. It makes me _sick_ that _anyone_ would want to take away that smile." Without another word, Ayame turned and began to dry the dishes again, making no move to stop the flow of tears that cascaded down her face._

"_Are you gonna let her demand that?" asked the first customer to Teuchi after a few minutes of tense silence._

_Teuchi looked up at the man and when he spoke his tone brooked no argument, "Yes, I am. My daughter is right, Naruto is family. If you are glad that he is gone then you can get out. I'd rather my business suffer then betray that kid like that. I think he's had enough betrayal as it is."_

_After a moment of studying the unyielding man the first customer left and, slowly, all but three customers followed._

* * *

Sakura hadn't been lying when she'd said what she'd said to Naruto. Everything had changed when he had left, and she had realised that she had hated who she was.

She also knew that she wasn't the only one in the village to come to that conclusion.

A lot had changed in the years that Naruto had been gone. For one, the village was no-longer at peace.

But, also, the village had come to realise their mistakes, come to regret them. In truth, a good portion of the village had actually grown to become very protective of Naruto.

Sakura and Sasuke had both grown stronger and changed since Naruto had left as well, having come to realise where they lacked. Sakura herself had felt very guilty after Naruto was banished, after all, she was the one who had begged him to bring Naruto back and that was what had been used as the excuse to banish him. Nevertheless, in a way, the situation had been good for both her and Sasuke.

It forced Sasuke to confront his family issues (most notably the fact that he was afraid to let himself have a new one) and it forced Sakura to confront, well, everything that was wrong with her.

She had been a crap ninja back then.

But now, now she was a top medical ninja, second only to Tsunade, and even that was up for debate.

When Naruto had left she had blamed herself for being unable to protect both him and Sasuke, unable to support them. She was a _ninja_ for lord's sake, she should have had their backs.

Well, now she always would.

She would never let them get hurt again.

"Were you glad to see him?" Sasuke uncharacteristically asked, pulling her out of her reverie, as they sat relaxing after a spar.

"Hmm," she said, "Oh, yes, of course," she smiled, "It was like seeing my little brother come back home."

"Hn," he replied,

There was a moment of silence and then Sakura said, "You need to talk to him."

"I don't _need_ to do anything," he retorted, voice defiant.

Her tone was unyielding as she, herself, replied, "Yes, Sasuke you do, and you will."

"You can't tell me what to do, Sakura," Sasuke said childishly.

Sakura did not chuckle as she usually would, instead her eyes remained intense as she stared into his. This was important after all.

"You and Naruto mean an awful lot to me," she said, "And you both technically left things on bad terms. Once upon a time, you were brothers, closer even, and when you worked together you were an unbeatable team. You need each other, Sasuke, and since you are the one that started this, you will make it right."

Sasuke considered her for a moment and then sighed. Sakura was right, Sasuke needed his brother to forgive him.

Plus, he really didn't need a repeat of when Naruto had left.

_10 Years Earlier…_

"_Tsunade-sama, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura shouted as she raced through the halls of the hospital, ignoring the nurse telling her not to run. She didn't care what they said, Danzo had gone too far and Tsunade just _had_ to do something._

_As luck would have it Tsunade was just coming out of surgery and as such Sakura could actually talk to her._

_Tsunade turned as she heard Sakura calling and spoke, "Sakura, what's wrong?"_

"_Naruto…Danzo…he…" Sakura panted as she skidded to a stop in front of Tsunade._

"_Sakura, what?" Tsunade said, "Calm down, what happened?"_

"_Danzo banished Naruto!"_

_Tsunade froze, her entire body stiffening. Her tone was dark when she replied "What?"_

"_Danzo banished Naruto," Sakura repeated, calmer this time._

"_Excuse me, Sakura, I have something I need to do," Tsunade said after a moment, her tone neutral despite the shadow covering her face. Then she briskly walked away from Sakura, the anger she was feeling tangible in the air._

_A few hours passed and Sakura was sat by Sasuke's bedside, agonising over both of her boys. One was gone, banished, and the other had been unconscious for hours._

_Things really weren't going well for her team at the moment._

_A low groan from the bedside snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Sasuke's eyes fluttering open._

"_Hey," she said softly, "You okay?"_

_Groggily, Sasuke blinking his eyes and turned his head to look at her. Upon realising where he was and why he must be there he shot up, anger colouring his face._

"_Damn it!" he exclaimed, "How did that _dobe_ manage to beat me?"_

"_Sasuke…" Sakura said quietly, trying to get his attention._

_Sasuke ignored her, continuing to rant, "Didn't that idiot get the idea? I don't want to be here, Konoha has nothing to offer me. And anyway, after forcing me back here he can't even show his face? What a moron!"_

"_Sasuke." Sakura suddenly interrupted him, voice sterner than he had ever heard from her before._

_Abruptly, he did stop, mouth snapping shut._

_Sakura sighed and then spoke calmer this time, "God Sasuke, get over yourself. You're not as special as you think and right now you really don't have the right to be whining."_

_It was only now that Sasuke realised that something had changed. Sakura was not using her usual 'kun' and she seemed to be inexplicably sad. It was also at this moment that he realised just what he had said-and that Naruto wasn't there._

_An unexplainable and unwanted worry began to clutch at Sasuke's heart as he realised this and said, voice level, "Sakura, where is Naruto?"_

"_Gone," she said, eyes and tone sad._

"_What do you mean gone?" he asked._

"_Gone," she replied, "As in, banished. As in, Danzo used this as an excuse to get rid of him and he used you as his reasoning." Anger appeared to be battling for freedom beneath the surface of her stormy green eyes._

"_Me?" Sasuke asked, all thoughts of being forced back to Konoha forgotten, "How the hell did he use me?"_

_Sakura's tone was almost scathing as she answered, "He claimed the fact that you were so beat up was evidence of Naruto losing control."_

_Sasuke was silent, letting that sink in and ignoring the 'losing control' comment-for now._

_Sakura could feel a quiet rage burning in her stomach, realised it was because of Sasuke, and for once decided that she would just let her inner self loose._

_The fury was more than notable in her voice as she spoke, "This is your fault, Sasuke. If you hadn't been so in _denial_ this would have never happened!"_

"_Denial?" he replied, incredulous._

"_Yes," she said, "You are so caught up with your brother that you are blind to what is in front of you. You have a family you know? Right here, with team 7. For all your flaws we still love you. We don't care that you're afraid, we don't care that you're bent on vengeance. We are here to help you, why can't you just accept that?"_

"_I don't need help!" Sasuke uncharacteristically screamed back and then paused and asked in a more controlled tone, "Afraid?"_

"_Yes," Sakura replied, unwavering, "You are afraid. You're afraid because you had your family cruelly ripped away from you and it _hurt._ You're afraid because now, right before you, you have this chance to have a wonderful new family and that _terrifies_ you. It _terrifies_ you because they could be taken away again and you don't think you can handle that."_

"_You're wrong," he replied, voice barely a whisper and hair covering his eyes._

"_Am I?" she asked, eyes not leaving his form._

_He didn't say anything and after a few moments she sighed, stood up and walked to the door. As she stood in the doorway, just before she stepped out, she spoke, "If you're afraid of losing what you love, then you have to do what Naruto does. You have to stand up, you have to get stronger, and you have to put your _everything_ into protecting those people. You're not alone Sasuke, you haven't been for a long time. You don't have to face the horrors of this world by yourself. We will stand by you, we will catch you when you fall. You just have to let us."_


	5. Chapter 5-Family Ties

Chapter 5-Family Ties

_10 Years Earlier…_

_Tsunade was furious._

_No. Scratch that._

_Tsunade was _livid.

_How dare they? How dare they use her _saving a life_ as an excuse to destroy another?_

_Much less that of the one person in this _damned_ village who didn't deserve it._

_Yes, Tsunade was livid._

_Which is precisely why the occupants of the Hokage Tower were giving her a wide birth as she stormed towards the council chambers._

_The doors slammed into the walls as she threw them open, her ridiculous strength cracking the hinges and almost snapping the doors in half. Fury rolled off of her in waves of power as she stalked to the table in the centre of the room and smashed her fist into it. Slowly, a crack began to run down the middle of the table and just as slowly Tsunade pulled her hand away from the table and let it crumble in on itself._

_The council swallowed._

"_What have you done?" Tsunade demanded, her voice dangerously low and her fists clenched at her sides._

_A female in the back squeaked and cowered behind another member of the council._

_Danzo, however, let no fear shine through as he calmly stood up so that he was level with Tsunade and replied, "What should have been done years ago." The conviction in his tone was beyond evident._

_Tsunade snorted, a mocking, depreciating snort. She then narrowed her eyes at the fools that cowered before her and retorted, "Done years ago? If it had been done years ago this village would have died three times over at least."_

"_That's ridiculous!" called a voice from the back in a sudden burst of misplaced confidence, "That _fox_ was a threat, a menace. He was not a hero."_

_Tsunade's piercing eyes locked onto the man that had spoken and narrowed even further, "If _Naruto_ had not stopped Mizuki another village would have had all our secrets. If _Naruto_ had not stopped Gaara, Gaara would have destroyed Konoha in his insanity. If _Naruto_ had not come to get me I would never have returned, and this village would be without both its best med-nin and its leader."_

"_Coincidences," said Danzo, voice even, "Those things would all have eventually occurred anyway, the brat was not a significant part. He was no one."_

_Tsunade laughed, a short, cold and bitter laugh. One that struck fear into the hearts of all present and caused sadness to stir within their stomachs._

_She shook her head in disappointment at the people in front of her and then spoke her own argument, "Perhaps you're right about Mizuki. But Gaara…ask anyone from Sand. Naruto changed him, showed him how to live, rid him of his insanity. Proved to Gaara that he had a family that cared. If it was not for Naruto, Gaara would still be one of the most dangerous threats to this world. And, as for me, I didn't want to come back. In all honesty I was disgusted by Konoha and its principles for a great many years, add to that the fact that I was terrified of blood and I would have been a terrible Hokage. Naruto changed that. _Naruto_ showed me that things can change if people stand up and try to change them. _Naruto _allowed me to see that there was still some will of fire burning within this village, within him. And when _Naruto_ sacrificed his life to save mine he forced me to overcome my fear of blood so that I could save his life-so that I could save the one life I had truly wanted to save in a very long time. As far as I am concerned, Naruto is my family and he has done more for this village than any of you ever have."_

_The room was silent, unsure how to respond to this undeniable evidence and fearful that Tsunade may snap and decide that their lives really weren't all that necessary._

_Well, everyone in the room but Danzo._

_Danzo who now despised that little fox brat even more. Not only had the brat avoided his fate as Danzo's weapon, but he was also the reason that the Hokage robes did not belong to Danzo._

_His annoyance and anger were barely held in check as he faced Tsunade and replied, words deliberately crafted to sway the rest of the council back onto his side, "A couple of lucky moments does not make the brat significant in the big picture of things."_

_Tsunade stared at Danzo for a few moments, fury raging in her eyes, warring with some other emotion he could not name as she appeared to contemplate something._

_Suddenly, the turmoil within her eyes stopped, she sighed and then began to smirk, teeth bared threateningly._

_Leaning back slightly, Tsunade rested her fist on her hip and let the tension fade from her shoulders. Then she spoke, voice menacingly calm, "I want to hit you. I want to snap your necks and feel your bones grinding beneath my hands. I would find nothing more satisfying that causing each and every one of you more pain that even Ibiki could dream to deal to his victims." Her voice was a terrifying snarl as she spoke the last words and the council gulped._

_Tsunade took a breath, calmed herself, and began to speak again, "But, that would be far too easy. You don't deserve the easy way out. So instead, I'm going to do something far worse. I am going to fire all of you-with my position as Hokage I officially remove each and every one of you from this council. But that's not even the worst. No, your punishment is having to live with the truth, with the reality of what you have done." Tsunade deliberately paused, letting her words take hold._

_Then she spoke again, her tone a cross between cruel and smug as she clapped slowly and sarcastically, "Well done, you absolute geniuses. You just banished the son of the Fourth Hokage."_

* * *

"You're different," Naruto said to Hinata as they sat together in Ichiraku's eating. It was lunch time and the streets were busy, bustling with people. Naruto was glad to see that Ichiraku's had expanded in the years he'd been gone-they'd gone from a small little stand to an almost full blown restaurant and Naruto could think of no one who deserved it more. Despite this he was happy that the place still felt like a home, like a nice little haven that would protect him from the cruel world outside.

It helped that when he had entered a pregnant Ayame had only hugged him (tightly) before acting as if nothing had changed.

And, he supposed, referring the fact that they remained an odd little family, nothing had.

Except that Ayame was married and pregnant.

Naruto sure was relieved he liked the husband-he would have beat him to a bloody pulp if he hadn't.

"Yes," Hinata replied, her voice light as it gently pulled Naruto back to the present.

"Ah, I got it!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing his chopstick into the air and causing Hinata to giggle, "You don't stutter anymore."

Hinata smiled at him, eyes soft and warm. "No," she said, "I don't. I'm more confident now. In my abilities, in how I look and in what I want to do."

"What do you want to do?" asked Naruto, voice soft but serious, sensing the importance of his question as he turned his full attention towards her.

She considered him for a moment and when she replied her voice was just as serious, "Change the Hyuuga Clan. I want to fix things, no, I will fix things." Her voice was determined and the same determination burned in her eyes.

"And how do you plan to do that? I thought Hanabi had been chosen as heir." Naruto questioned.

Hinata smiled softly again, "My sister and I have grown a lot closer. When you left I realised that I didn't have time to procrastinate; it's now or never. I'm not going to let my clan's twisted views stand between the relationship my sister and I can have. I'm done being told what to do. If I can't make myself proud, how can I expect anyone else to be proud of me? I know what I want and I am going to get it. Hanabi knows that in three years, on her twenty-first birthday, when she is due to become head, I will challenge her. We have both sworn to give that fight our all. But make no mistake, I will not lose; I will change my clan."

Naruto considered Hinata for a moment and then let a bright and true smile cross his face.

"Yes, you will," he said, "I believe you will."

There was silence for a few moments before Naruto spoke again, "I like this new Hinata. Confidence suits you, it's…beautiful."

To her credit, Hinata only slightly blushed as she stuffed more noodles into her mouth.

When they finished eating Naruto stood up and turned to Hinata.

"Care to spar with me?" he asked. She nodded and as they exited the shop he spoke again, "Ino told me that everybody's reactions to my banishment were different to what I would have thought. I'm intrigued. So Hinata, tell me what your reaction was?"

Ayame smiled as she watched the two leave, hand resting on her swollen stomach.

It was good to have Naruto home.

* * *

_10 Years Earlier…_

"_Naruto Uzumaki had been banished from Konoha, "Danzo's voice rang out, echoing over the gasps of the crowd._

"_Now, before you all start an uprising let me tell you why," he continued, "Naruto Uzumaki is the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. 12 years ago, instead of destroying the fox, the Fourth sealed the monster into a new-born child and that child was Uzumaki. He lost control when he bought back the Uchiha and as such almost killed him. Due to this, Uzumaki has been deemed as too high a threat to the village and has been banished."_

_Hinata watched in uncontained shock as Danzo, announcement made, strolled casually back into the Hokage Tower. Beside her, her cousin stood with the same undignified expression of shock colouring his face._

"_This is ridiculous, outrageous!" Hinata heard Ino scream from somewhere in the crowd and couldn't help but to agree. Had they not asked Naruto to bring the Uchiha back? Had he not done that?_

_How could they betray him like this?_

_Hinata barely felt it as Neji began guiding her back to the compound, a light hand on her shoulder. She didn't know how to react, her emotions a spiralling turmoil in her stomach. She felt as if she wanted to hurl and cry and rage all at once, unsure of which emotion to feel first._

_Naruto couldn't be gone._

_He _couldn't_._

"_Hinata…" she heard Neji say as if from a distance away but ignored him, too caught up in her confusion. Vaguely, she became aware that she had been herded into the Clan meeting room and some detached part of her wondered when and how she had got home._

_Silently and obediently she sat down next to her father, mind still reeling as they waited for the clan elders to settle. The same detached part of her mind was questioning as to why a clan meeting had been called._

_When everyone was settled Hinata's grandfather began to speak, "I'm sure you all know why we are here. The Kyuubi brat has finally been banished."_

_Hinata felt her world come spinning to an abrupt halt as those words escaped the mouth of her grandfather, quiet exclamations of joy following. Her eyes narrowed in and locked on to the elder speaking as her mind stopped, waiting; as if this was a precipice and she was trying to decide whether to jump or not._

"_Now, though, we have a more pressing matter," the elder continued, ignoring the low murmurs, "We cannot allow enemies to get their hands on the boy and turn him into a weapon. As such, we vote that we should send a team to eliminate him."_

_Suddenly, Hinata knew which emotion she wanted to feel first. Taking a metaphorical step she let herself fall, the precipice seeming far more welcome in this moment._

_Yes, she knew what she was feeling._

_She was _angry_._

_Neji felt Hinata tense next to him, hands clenching into fists. When he looked what he saw _terrified_ him._

_Where before the emotions swirling in her eyes had been undecipherable, now one emotion was prominent; fury. Her pale eyes looked clouded, almost pure white instead of lavender and her byakugan had inadvertently activated, apparently reacting to her overwhelming emotions. The usual slouch and timid nature that shone through in the way she held herself was gone. Instead the anger bought about confidence, causing Hinata to sit with her back straight and her head held high._

_But most notable was the killing intent emanating from her, dousing the room in her terrifyingly cold fury._

_Neji was not the only one to notice this._

_Hiashi turned to Hinata, his eyes unusually wide, and asked, "Hinata, what is wrong with you?" His voice carried the usual cold tone of the Hyuuga's and that only infuriated Hinata more._

"_You want to eliminate him?" Hinata asked quietly as she stood up, fists shaking and eyes hidden behind her hanging hair so that only Neji could see how paralysingly scary they were in that moment._

"_Of course, he is a deadly threat." Hiashi's father said matter-of-factly._

_It was in that moment that Hinata raised her head towards the elders, hair falling behind her ears as she did. The rage in her eyes was only matched by the savage killing intent radiating from her, and the elders all involuntarily leaned back in fear._

"_What is wrong with this clan?" Hinata asked, her voice still terrifyingly quiet despite the slight emotional shake it held._

_The voice was all the more fear-inducing for its quietness._

"_What is wrong with this clan?" she repeated, "That we would brand our own people as if they were cattle? That we would use our family as slaves? That we would willingly cause harm to those we love just to keep a washed up and dried out illusion of power?" she paused and moved her eyes to stare at her father; her next words were screamed, "What is wrong with our people that we would condemn a child to die?"_

_No tears spilled down Hinata's cheeks and no fear or panic was felt for the possible consequences of her tirade. For years she had been building up her emotions, hiding them away and keeping them at bay. This, with Naruto, was a step too far and Hinata found that she could no longer feel anything but the fury that consumed her._

"_Hinata!" her father exclaimed, both stunned and outraged by her outburst. A small part of his conscience told him that he was not feeling anger but instead guilt at how her words rang true-he ignored that part._

"_Don't." Hinata said, voice back to the terrifying calm and eyes icy, "Do not tell me what is _proper_. Do not speak to me of _power. _Do not pretend as if you are a high and mighty _god_ when you are _nothing_ but a man I am so ashamed to be the daughter of. Mother would have hated this, hated what our clan has become. How is it that we can have the eyes of angels and yet be demonic in nature?" she turned the soul-freezing eyes away from her father to face the rest of the room, "This is not how things were supposed to be. Our clan was supposed to be the epitome of good, our eyes were supposed to be able to see the difference between good and bad. Everything is wrong and I do not like it."_

_Hiashi breathed a sigh of relief as those eyes left his and Neji gaped at his cousin who had suddenly thrown caution to the wind-then again, he supposed, Naruto did always bring that out in her._

_Hinata paused, considering for a moment before turning her soul-piercing gaze on her grandfather, "I'm going to find a way to remove that seal. I'm going to find a way to set my kin free. I am going to grow stronger and this entire clan will stand behind me as I do. I swear to you now, on my _honour_ as a bearer of these eyes; I will change the Hyuuga clan."_

_Her words echoed in the room, the killing intent all but dispersed as her will and determination shone through. Hinata began to stalk from the room, point made, and all were unsure as to what to say._

_Until someone decided it would be smart to push her buttons just a little bit more._

"_You're not heir, you can't do a thing. And your little fox friend; regardless of what you say we will still hunt him down," said an elder woman, voice haughty and sure._

_In the blink of an eye, faster than even Neji was aware that Hinata could move, Hinata was by the woman's side, arm twisted harshly behind the woman's back._

_Hinata looked up at her father and spoke, eyes locked with his, "Then I will take the title of heir by force." As if to prove her determination Hinata twisted the arm further until a satisfying crack resounded through the room as the woman cried out._

_Hinata began to walk away again but then paused, half turning back to the room, and spoke in a voice that was both smug and sure, "Send your assassination team after a child, I don't care. It will make you look bad and you'll still fail. Naruto has friends in every land he has ever visited and a lot of those friends are in high places. Good luck laying a hand on him, and if you do manage it, well, be prepared to run. Naruto has a lot of friends and should you hurt him, they will hunt you down and they will kill you; slowly and painfully."_

_Words of wisdom imparted Hinata left the room._

_Standing up, Neji stretched and then turned to the room himself and said, tome light, "She's not wrong."_

_As Neji then left the stunned people behind, amused smirk spread across his face, there was really only one thing that crossed his mind; _Note to self-never piss of Hinata.

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto stood on opposite sides of training ground 7 preparing to spar. It was quite nostalgic really, Kakashi thought as he sat next to Sakura waiting to watch. For once there was no book to be seen-the two boys held his full attention.

In truth it wasn't just those two who were there, everyone was; the rookies, the tails, the sensei's…everyone.

This was an epic moment.

That everyone had bets on.

"So Sasuke," Naruto called across the field, "I head you're an Anbu Captain now."

"So Naruto," Sasuke mimicked, "I heard you're the Kitsune now."

"Touché," Naruto said and then, in sync, both of the boys leapt forward, fists meeting in the middle.

They sprang back, Sasuke ducking to avoid Naruto's high kick and then sweeping his leg out to trip Naruto up. Naruto jumped this and then, as Sasuke fluidly stood back up, rammed an elbow into Sasuke's ribs. Sasuke coughed and thrust his own knee up into Naruto's stomach.

For a moment their eyes locked, equal smirks gracing their faces, before both sprang back.

Simultaneously they both raced through hand seals and blew, allowing a jutsu to be released. Typically Sasuke used the Goukakyuu but Naruto, predicting this, did something unexpected and used a wind jutsu. The resulting air caused the flames to flare as they were blown back at Sasuke who was forced to dive out of the way.

"You'll have to do better than that," Naruto called to Sasuke causing the boy to growl and activate his sharingan.

"Shouldn't that wind have made Sasuke's fire more dangerous for Naruto?" asked Ino from the side-lines.

"Usually, yes," answered Sayan, "But Naru-sensei adds more power to it so that it will blow the stronger flames back at his opponent."

"Simple, but effective," commented Asuma, a contemplative look adorning his bearded face.

Back on the battlefield, to match the enhancements that Sasuke's sharingan gave Sasuke, Naruto summoned one of his clones and dispelled it, activating his Sage Mode.

"You've got new tricks," commented Sasuke.

"You have no idea," Naruto replied before racing forwards and swinging his fist. At first Sasuke thought that Naruto had missed, but then he felt what appeared to be air slam into his face with the force of a punch. Impressed, Sasuke drew his katana and slashed it towards Naruto.

A fast and high powered sequence of attack and dodge began between the two, both seeming to be equally matched as they destroyed the environment that surrounded them.

As the match appeared to be drawing to a close, both panting as they bled from various places, they each geared themselves up for a final attack.

Eyes locking each young man let the power for their jutsu build in their hand, each knowing the significance of these particular jutsu's. As one, both boys began to race towards each other.

The jutsu's met with an almighty sound that rumbled over the training ground and covered the area with smoke.

The spectators watched worriedly for the smoke to clear and as it did they were shocked at what they saw.

The two boys lay face-up in a shallow crater, their heads next to each other as their bodies pointed in opposite directions. Neither seemed particularly harmed but both appeared to be exhausted.

"Dobe," Sauske said quietly, raising his fist over his face and stretching it towards his friend.

"Teme," Naruto retorted as he raised his own fist and bumped it with Sasuke's.

For a moment they just lay there, looking at each other as their fists touched.

Then they began to laugh.

It was a hearty, hysterical laugh that came right from the stomach and neither boy seemed able to stop as they laughed to the sky.

"They're insane," Chiyoe said from the side-lines, head titled as she stared at the two boys, "It's not just me right? They're both insane."

"They're not insane," said Sakura, a warm smile on her face, "This is just how they apologise, how they express their relief at having their brother back."

A moment passed and then, "Pay up," said Kakashi, holding out his left hand as the right held a little orange book open in front of him.

Everyone sighed and then began to dig out money to give to him-Kakashi was the only one who bet on a draw.

More minutes passed, the laughter dying down to be replaced by a content, companionable silence, both boys happy to just lay in the crater and bask in how good it felt to have their brother back.

It was almost sunset when someone else entered the training ground, breath coming in well concealed pants.

"Captain," said the masked Anbu, pointedly facing Sasuke, "There's someone at the gate who you're going to want to see."

"Who?" asked Sasuke seriously as both he and Naruto sat up.

"Just…come." Said the Anbu, clearly unable to explain.

Looking at each other for a brief moment, both boys sprang to their feet and without a word headed towards the main gate.

When Sasuke arrived he froze, heart beating rapidly in his chest at the sight before him. His palms were sweating and his mind was blank as old, long-forgotten and determinedly pushed away emotions began to resurface.

"Let him go," Naruto's voice suddenly rang out from Sasuke's right, addressing the two Anbu who held the visitor prisoner.

"But…" said one of the Anbu.

"Let. Him. Go." Naruto repeated, voice dropping to deadly levels. Both men released their prisoner on instinct, fearful of this man who so easily matched their captain.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sasuke abruptly said, finally finding his voice as he turned towards his friend.

"Leave it be, Sasuke," Naruto replied, "This man is with me."

"With yo-bu-wha-," Sasuke spluttered, "But! Naruto, this man is Itachi Uchiha, my brother!"

* * *

_10 Years Earlier…_

_Naruto was twenty miles clear of Konoha when he finally stopped to consider his situation. He was without money, food and water and he didn't really have a clear plan._

_He'd left on a whim._

_There was one thing he was clear of though; for once in his life Naruto wanted the truth._

_Deciding that this was his top priority, Naruto bit his thumb and smeared the blood across his palm. He then crouched down and slammed his hand into the ground._

"_Summoning Jutsu," he said, voice unusually quiet._

_A pop resounded and a small toad appeared out of the smoke._

"_Gamikichi, "Naruto said, "I need you to take me to your home, I need to speak with your elders."_

"_What?" Gamikichi asked, shocked._

"_Gamikichi," Naruto interrupted, voice stern, "Just do it."_

_Sensing the importance and seriousness of Naruto's words, Gamikichi just closed his mouth and nodded before poofing away._

_A few moments passed and Naruto felt a sudden tugging sensation in his gut. Closing his eyes he let it pull him away._

_When he opened them again he was surrounded by toads and directly in front of him were two very old toads._

"_You demanded to see us?" asked the male one._

"_Yes," Naruto said, undaunted by the wisdom and power he sensed from the two old toads, "I want the truth."_

"_The truth?" asked the female, "About what?"_

"_Everything," Naruto answered._

_The old male frog considered the boy for a moment, attempting to decide if he was ready. What he saw in the boy's face was sad; a mixture of pain and betrayal and determination. The toad could sense that something had changed, that the time for concealment was over._

"_Alright," he said, gesturing for the boy to sit down, "I guess I should start by telling you who your parents were. Naruto, your father was Minato Namikaze; The Fourth Hokage."_


End file.
